Sweet piece, and “oh so true to my life story!” Just bought an “old” coffee can rusted and beaten filled with dirt, springs, nuts, and nails. Took it home to show my wife my prize then she commented on the plastic lid it had on the bottom. . .

In a related story, my family always seemed to have a tradition of throwing out anything that might one day be of value, like an antique desk, and keeping all the crap. After my dad died years and years ago, I found all kinds of shitty plastic 110 cameras in his stuff, but damn if I could find the old, collapsible (and now every valuable) Polaroid camera.

We watch Antique Roadshow a lot. It always amazes me the great lengths people go on reproductions and how easy it is to get suckered. Those poor folks deflate like a punctured balloon when the appraiser tells them it’s worthless. I just grin.

I collect certain early American gold coins and silver dollars. There are factories in China that churn scary counterfeits out. I’ve seen pictures of such a factory after it was raided: One person would operate a die, another person is dedicated to dinging up coins, another stains them, etc.. The one factory made counterfeits for the best coins of at least ten countries.

Zombie, Let him be happy. It’s valuable to him. I remember a rifle my dad sent to South America for. He happily sat and told what the different scars in the wood might have been from. He could see the battle in his mind. Humorous and well written. 🙂 —Susan